Iron-nickel-copper alloy.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUILLIAM H. GLAMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IRON-NICKEL-COPPER ALLOY.

N 0 Drawing.

PatentedJ an. 14, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUILLIAM H. CLAMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Iron-NickeLCopper Alloy, of which the following is a speci- Objects of the present invention are to effect an economy in the production of nickel-steel of low range, that is, steels in which the nickel is below approximately 8%; to provide low range nickel steel ofpea-rlitic structure, in which a portion of the nickel is replaced by copper; to lncrease the tensile strength of such steel without reduction of the percentage of elongation, and to provide homogeneous iron-coppernickel alloys having physical properties which adapt them to many uses and purposes in the arts and which are equal to, if.

by the use of copper to surpass the physical properties of steel containing nickel alone. The basis of comparison in all cases is the amount of the alloying constituent added, 2'. 6., nickel and copper together, being equivalent to nickel alone. By the substitution of a part of the nickel in nickel-steel by copper, the same or greater limit of elasticity and tensile strength are maintained, without diminishing the ductility.

The introduction of copper in place of nickel is advantageous from an economical standpoint, because of the relative differences in price of the two metals. Within i this range, it has been found that steel is improved in physical properties by the ad-' dition of nickel in increasing degree depending'upon the amountof nickel added, until approximately 8% is present. Further-ad dit'ions of nickel above this percentage are productive of somewhat sudden increase in the tensile strength and limit of elasticity,

but this is attained at the expense of greatly diminished ductility, the steel becoming brittle. When, however, nickel is added in still further amount, approaching 25%, the steel again becomes soft and ductile. This is known as steel of high range. Steels with percentages of nickel between these ranges are of no commercial value, owing to their brittleness. These ranges are not, however, sharply defined, and are effected by the carbo-n content changes taking place with lower nickel content, as carbon is increased. It is the alloy within the upper percentage range of nickel which is claimed in my co-pending application, No; 513,537. In that application, I have claimed alloys containing copper in such amounts that were it added to nickel-steel of low range, as claimed in the present application, or to ordinary carbonsteel or iron, would render them hot short brittle andunmachineable, but the percentage of copper added in the present -invention is such that it has the most desirable effect upon the steel even without the combined presence of nickel. I have found that the good qualities to be imparted to steel,

be present in such amount that it will not too seriously afiect the ductility, for example, below .5 of 1%. A small amount of manganese may also be present, and the usual impurities, such as sulfur, phosphorus and silicon, which are present in commercial steel, but naturally these should be kept as low as possible to come within commercial practice. As copper is cheaper than nickel, economy is effected, not only by the nickel displaced by the copper, but also by the smaller percentage of nickel and cop-- per required to produce the same physical results. Still further economy may be effected by the use of monel metal, a commercial alloy containing approximately 68% nickel, 2% iron and 30% copper. Monel metal is a product made directly from ores carrying nickel and copper, and sells at a oaoeaa Strain Elonga- Reduc- Cop- Car- Limit of Nickel per. bon. 2 i elasticity. g l ig By increasing the amount of carbon to .6%, steel of the composition of the first mentioned in the table, has a tensile strength of 127,500# with elongation 10. so that from this example, it will be seen that the amount of carbon must be kept within olesirecl limits, for e'xampleapproximately below .5 of 1%. Examples given are on unannealed bars. 1

What I claim is: I

1. Steel containing nickel up to 6% and copper up to 2%. i

2. Steel containing nickel up to 6% and copper from one-half of one per cent. to 2%.

3. Steel containing nickel up to 6%, copper up to 2% and carbon up to .5 of 1%.

4:. Steel containing. nickel up to 6% copper from one-half of one per cent. to 2% ancl carbon up to .5 of 1%.

5. Steel alloyed with 7% of previously prepared alloy of the following approximate composition: nickel 68%, iron 2%, copper In testimony whereof l[ have hereunto signed my name.

,GUILLIAM H. GLAMER.

Witnesses:

S. E. PATTERSON, K. M. GILLIGAN. 

